Taping device



March 10, 1942. M. T. MALLARD 2,275,858

TAPING DEVICE Filed Sept. 25, 1940 ITIVGTT'SQT; Manley T. Mal lav-cl,

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Patented Mar. 10, 1942 TAPING DEVICE Manley T. Mallard, Fairfield, Conn., assignorto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application September 25, 1940, Serial No. 358,271

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a taping device, and more particularly to a taping device for applying insulating tape to electric cables.

Cable splices usually include an insulating layer applied in the form of a tape. Such taping operations are frequently difiicult, particularly in those cases where one or more tapes must be applied simultaneously, as in the case of selfvulcanizing tapes, because it is difiicult for a single operator to wrap the tapes simultaneously around the cable. Moreover, insulating tapes are usually provided with a cloth separating layer be tween the adjacent wrappings of the tape which must be removed as the roll of tape is moved around the cable to apply the tape to the joint.

In such cases the operator must stop at frequent intervals to remove the cloth separator tape, or else run the risk of having the separator becoming entangled with the insulating tape. My invention overcomes these difficulties and makes possible the simultaneous application of a plurality of insulating tapes without interference from the separator tapes. The same result is attained when only a single insulating tape is being applied.

It is an object of my invention to provide means for simplifying the operation of applying a roll of insulating tape having a separator tape in that the separator tape is automatically wound up on a reel so that it is at all times out of the way of the insulating tape to facilitate winding of the latter around the cable joint.

It is another object of my invention to provide means whereby a plurality of insulating tapes may be applied simultaneously to a cable, provision being made for removing a plurality of the separating tapes as the insulating tape are wound around the cable.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a supporting means for a roll of insulating tape whereby the latter may be rotated around the cable easily and quickly to apply a layer of tape to a cable.

In the accompanyin drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device showing it in position for applying a plurality of insulating tapes to a cable; Fig. 2 is a side view of the device with a portion broken away; Fig. 3 is an end view of the device looking to the right of Fig. 2 Fig. 4 is an end of the device looking to the left of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view of a modified form of my invention; and Fig. 6 is an end view of the device of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, my taping device includes a holder plate ID for supporting a plurality of rolls II and I2 of insulating tape. Each roll comprises a tape of insulating material l3 and a separator tape M, the two tapes being wound simultaneously around a core l5, so that the adjacent layers of the insulating tape are spaced from one another by the separator l4. customarily, the separator tape is formed of fabric such as cloth. Were it not for the separator tape the layers of insulating tape would fuse or stick together, making removal from the roll diflicult. The insulating tape l3 may be formed of any Well known rubber compound suitable for use as insulation on an electric cable, or it may be any of the well known forms of friction tape impregnated with an asphaltic compound. In the case of self-vulcanizing tapes, one of the tapes carries the vulcanizing material while the other carries the accelerator, so that as the tapes are applied simultaneously in superposed relation,

a chemical reaction between them takes place curing the rubber layer thus formed in place.

Each of the rolls H and I2 is mounted on the main holding plate In by slipping it on a pin l6 which permits rotation of the roll of tape. The rolls are maintained in position by a bearing plate I! which overlie them and rests on the pins Hi. This plate is held in position by nuts l8 threaded on to the pins I6. A spring bearing member is placed between each of the rolls I I and I2 and the holding plate I! to take up any slack movement between the supporting plate and the rolls of tape. To this end, the spring bearing member is formed with a plurality of flexible radially extending arms I9 engaging the side walls of the roll. Replacement of the rolls on the holder is accomplished simply by removing the nuts [8 and the bearing plate I1.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the free ends of the tapes on each roll are passed through a space between two opposed rollers 20,

and the separator tapes I4 are then wound 7 formed in a supporting plate 24 which is secured in spaced relation to the main holding plate M by bolts 25. At their other ends, the pins 22 are likewise mounted in slots (not shown) in the holding member l0 which correspond in location and size to the slots 23. The pins 22 are movable transversely through the elongated slots 23 and are normally biased toward each other by springs 26 which are clipped around each end. This means that the rollers 20 are biased toward each other at all times so that they are brought into frictional engagement with the insulating and separator tapes I3 and M which pass between the rollers. In initially inserting the tapes between the rollers, they are spread apart against the action of the springs 26 so that thereafter they frictionally engage the tapes.

Similarly, the rollers 2| are rotatably supported on pins 21 which are slidable transversely through elongated slots 28 formed in the holding plate l and the supporting plate 24. As shown by Fig. 1, the slots 28 are inclined at an angle so that as the pins 21 move laterally therethrough the rollers 2| are moved into and out of engagement with the rollers 20. The pins are spring biased to move the rollers 2| into frictional engagement with the rollers 26 by means of springs 29 clipped around the outer ends of the pins.

After the separator tape M of each roll is slipped between the rollers 26 it is wound around a corresponding roller 2| in a reverse'direction between the roller 26 and the roller 2| and is slipped under an overlying convolution so that winding of the separator tape on the roller 2| is initially begun. As the insulating tapes |3 are pulled between the rollers the rollers are caused to rotate due to their frictional engagement with the outer separator tape |4 so that the rollers 2| are caused to rotate in the opposite direction due to their frictional cooperation with the rollers 23 under the influence of the springs 29.

Rotation of roller 20 drives the roller 2| even though the tape 14 is between the rollers due to the fact that the springs 29 bias the roller 2| toward the roller 20. This means that as the rollers 20 and 2| rotate in opposite directions the separator tape I 4 is wound up On the roller 2|, as shown by Fig. 2. The amount of tape wound up on the roller 2| is compensated for by movement of the supporting pins 21 transversely of the slots 28 against the action of the biasing spring 29. Movement of the pins 22 within the slots 23 is simply to compensate for tapes of varying thicknesses passing between the rollers 20. If desired the rollers 20 may be provided with knurled or serrated surfaces for increasing the frictional grip on the tapes thereby preventing slippage. An opening 36 in the holding plate l0 forms a grip portion for the hand of an operator.

One use of the device is in applying an insulating covering to a cable 3|. The device is particularly useful in those cases where it is desired to applying two self-vulcanizing insulating tapes simultaneously. In such cases it was formerly necessary to move both of the rolls of tape individually around the conductor and, at the same time, remove the separator tapes on each of the rolls to prevent interference with the wrapping operation. Frequently, this required the services of more than one operator. By my construction, however, both rolls of tape are mounted on the holder and the holder itself is moved by a single operator completely around the conductor, in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1. As the insulating tapes are pulled between the rollers 20 during winding on the electric conductor, the rollers 26 are rotated causing corresponding rotation of the rollers 2| to wind up the separator tapes l4. The rollers 26 act to bring the selfvulcanizing tapes into intimate contact under the action of the springs 26 thereby increasing the effectiveness of the vulcanization. While the holder has been shown as supporting two rolls of self-vulcanizing tapes for simultaneous application to the conductor, it should be manifest that the device will work equally as well if only a single roll were mounted thereon.

My device greatly increases the speed and effectiveness with which insulating tapes may be wrapped around electric conductors. Since the separator tape is wound up automatically on the roll 2| it is unnecessary for the operator to stop and tear off this tape such as has been necessary heretofore. Moreover, it is possible to apply the insulating tape evenly and with uniform tension because the holder may be moved continuously around the cable without interference from the separator tape and without stopping to tear it off. Since the separator tape is wound on the reel 2| it does not become entangled with the main insulating tape thereby increasing the speed of application. My device greatly increases the safety of the operator in working around live wires since the various rolls of insulating tape are mounted on a single holder so that the tapes may be applied simultaneously and expeditiously.

Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing illustrate a form of my invention which is particularly adapted for use with a single roll of insulating tape such as a roll of rubber tape 34 commonly employed in protecting soldered connections of conductors. Such rubber tapes are usually wound on a cylindrical core 35. The core 35 receives a bearing member 36 mounted on a pin 31 supported by opposite sides of a housing 38. The roll is mounted on the holder simply by removing the pin 31, which is frictionally held by the housing, and inserting it together with the bearing member 36 through the core. Opposite walls of the housing are provided with elongated slots 40 supporting a pin 4| on which is rotatably mounted a roller 42 in the form of spool having end flanges 43. A coil spring 44 is supported at one end on a bar 45 supported by the housing; the other end of the spring resiliently engages the spool 42 to press it into frictional engagement with the separator tape M on the associated roll 34. As the insulating tape 3 is unwound from the roll the latter rotates about the bearing member 36 and since the spring 44 maintains the spool 42 in frictional engagement with the separator tape, this tape is wound up on the spool. This provides a very simple construction which is most effective in winding up the separator tape and keeping it out of the way of the operator as the insulating tape is applied to the conductor. Variations in the amount of separator tape wound on the spool are compensated for by lateral movement of the pin 4| in the elongated slot 46.

While my invention has been shown, by way of example, for use in applying insulating tapes to electric cables, it should be manifest that it may be used with other forms of tape and may be used in any case where it is desired to maintain a separator tape removed from a main tape.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A winding device for use with a plurality of rolls each formed of two tapes wound in superposed relation comprising, in combination, a support, means rotatably mounting the rolls on said support, spaced guide rollers mounted on said support and biased toward each other for receiving the tapes from each roll therebetween, and a spring biased toward each other and adapted to receive the tapes from the respective rolls therebetween, a reel associated with each guide roll, spring means for biasing said reels into frictional cooperation with a respective guide roll, said reels being rotated by movement of the tape through said guide means between the rolls for automatically rewinding one tape from each roll upon a respective reel.

MANLEY T. IVLALLARD. 

